Drug use among young people in the Balkans is increasing, the latest study also brings details about Albania

In the Western Balkan countries, cannabis was the most used by young people who are drug users with 42% of respondents, followed by over-the-counter antidepressant medications with 22% and cocaine with 21%.

The data was announced by the European Drugs Agency, which included 4,442 respondents, aged 18 and over, who had used drugs in the past year from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.

According to the study, less than 3% of respondents reported receiving treatment to stop using any narcotic substance.

Survey participants from the Western Balkans reported similar reasons for drug use to young Europeans, the study says.

About 84% of respondents who reported using the narcotic substance "ecstasy" and over 50% who reported using cocaine, amphetamine and ketamine, stated that they had used these substances "for fun".

Over 65% of those who reported using cannabis stated that they had used it “to reduce stress” or “to relax”.

"Although the figures were very low, the study says, about half of respondents who reported heroin use in this region cited "addiction" as the main reason."

Most of the substances included in the survey, such as cannabis, amphetamines, methamphetamines, heroin, and ketamine, were reported by respondents to be used at home.

The majority of survey participants in the Western Balkans who reported using the narcotic substance “ecstasy” said they did so at music festivals (81%), while cocaine was mainly used in bars or clubs (71%).

The survey was conducted in 30 languages ​​between May and July 2024 and, according to the Agency, involved over 66,000 Europeans from 31 countries who answered questions online.

More than 100 partners, including universities and civil society organizations, participated in the survey for the second time, through the European Union-supported “IPA8” project.

The online survey, according to the European Drugs Agency, aims to improve understanding of drug use patterns in Europe and help inform future policies and interventions. /VOA (A2 Televizion)